Meal Plan: The Not-Yet Fambly One

I haven't dug up all the recipes I would like to do for Fambly week, so I am doing just a plain old regular one in the interim. Heavy on the seafood this week, I am feeling fishy! Not smelling fishy, just to clarify. With me still living in Canada and there still being horrific floods and rain every single day here, I may have to do a little switcheroo when it comes to how things are specifically cooked, but the what should remain the same. Should. That's the important word rye chair.

Anyway! Here is the plan and shopping list:

The Plan

Monday: Orange & Ginger Pork with Roasted Potatoes
Tuesday: Salmon with Penne & Parsley Sauce (Can also be served cold, as a salad)
Wednesday: Grilled Basa with Herbed Rice (Parsley is an herb, right??)
Thursday: Tuscan Chicken over Egg Noodles or Grilled Chicken Breasts
Friday: Bison Burgers, Baby with Grilled Fries
Saturday: Crabcakes with Caesar Salad
Sunday: Broccoli Chicken Casserole

The Shopping List

Monday: Orange and Ginger Pork with Roasted Potatoes
2 1-lb pork tenderloins (or one massive one, whatever ya got)
1 Tbsp butter
1 c orange juice
1 tsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1\4 c shallots
2 Tbsp ginger (couple inches)
2 garlic cloves
1\2 c chicken stock
1 Tbsp soy sauce
Salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, the usual
1 lb small red potatoes
1 Tbsp olive oil
Kosher salt, thyme, pepper, oregano

Tuesday: Salmon Penne with Parsley Sauce
1 lb salmon, skinned if you can get it, definitely de-boned
2 c whole wheat pasta, I am using penne, but whatever floats your boat, sailor.
1\2 lb asparagus or 1/2 c peas
1\2 c fat-free Greek yoghurt
2 Tbsp buttermilk
3 Tbsp parsley
One orange to zest
Salt, pepper

Wednesday: Grilled Basa with Herbed Rice
2 lb basa or other whitefish fillets - try red snapper or flounder or sea bass
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
1\2 medium onion
1 celery stalk
3 garlic cloves
1 c brown rice
4 green onions
2 medium tomatoes
1 Tbsp parsley
14 oz chicken stock
Salt & pepper, creole or potlatch seasoning

Thursday: Grilled Chicken or Tuscan Chicken
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts OR
8 chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
1 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion
2 red peppers
1 garlic clove
1 1\4 c diced tomatoes
2\3 c white wine (or chicken stock if you don't want to intoxicate anybody)
1 tsp dried oregano
15 oz can cannellini beans
Salt, pepper, maybe thyme
1 c no-yolk egg noodles

Friday: Bison Burgers with Grilled Fries
1 lb lean ground bison
1\2 c slow oats (also called old-fashioned by whippersnappers)
1 egg
1 Tbsp ketchup
1 Tbsp mustard
1 medium onion
1\2 c cauliflower or spinach puree
Salt, pepper, garlic powder
1 lb russet potatoes or 1\2 each of russet and sweet potatoes
1 Tbsp olive oil

Saturday: Crab Cakes with Caesar Salad
1 lb crabmeat (imitation or real, hey, it's your budget)
3\4 c breadcrumbs ( I am using Panko because Costco sells it by the kilogram)
6 green onions
1\4 c 1% milk
3 Tbsp light mayonnaise
2 Tbsp parsley
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp butter
Salt, pepper, red pepper flakes
1 slice whole grain, whole wheat bread
1 Tbsp butter
1 garlic clove
Romaine lettuce (you can get it prewashed and cut up and everything!!)
1\4 c vegetable oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice (about a lemon's worth)
2 garlic cloves
1 1\2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp anchovy paste (had to get that fish in there!)
2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese ( you know I never mean powdered Parmesan, right)
Salt, pepper, sugar


Sunday: Broccoli Chicken Casserole
1 c whole wheat rotini
8 oz cooked chicken, boneless and skinless
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 c 1% milk
2 c broccoli florets
1 oz light cheese
Salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder (I know, I know)

Everything should stay within the guidelines I am following, about 400-500 calories per meal, including sides, check it oot!

Sunday: Beef & Broccoli in Black Bean Sauce

Black bean sauce is one of those ugly duckling ingredients; it looks (and smells) no bueno, but smear it all over some meat and stir fry it? Gor-geous. Maybe it's the whole fermented thing that turns people off, no matter, give it a try! Smear your meat with it! You will not be disappointed.

You will need:

8 oz flank steak
1 tsp sesame oil
8 oz broccoli, cut into florets
3 Tbsp water
1 small onion
1/4 green / orange / red pepper

For the marinade:

2 Tbsp black bean sauce (can be found in the Asian section of most grocery stores)
2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp brown sugar
1 garlic clove, sliced thinly
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced

For your prep, first slice your steak across the grain. Flank steak is awesome when you cut it that way and not so great when you don't. Like one long string for your teeth. I find the easiest way is to cut it into 4 pieces first.

This is a big hunk of meat

In half...

Flank steak trims so easily

Slice as thinly as possible

Place all your marinade ingredients in a shallow non-metal dish, add the sliced steak, stir, cover and keep in the fridge for up to 6 hours.

Onto the rest of the prep! Floret-tize your broccoli, slice your onions, peppers, whatever ya got. When you are good and ready to go, drain the steak and reserve the marinade. Heat the second teaspoon of sesame oil in a non-stick frying pan and cook the steak for 3 minutes-ish and then remove to a plate.

Add the broccoli to the pan with 1/4 c water, cover and let steam for 5 minutes. Add in the onion and peppers, cook for a couple of minutes until the onions seem soft-ish.

Return the steak and the marinade back to the pan, stir and cook until everything is heated through.

I separated this into 3 portions (because my husband stole all the meat) at 223 calories per serving.

 Enjoy!

 

Saturday: Dijon Chicken Chow-Dair

This is not technically a chow-dair, but it has potatoes and I really like to say Chow-dair, so there it is. You have to try this on a day when you have some time. And kale. The Dijon makes this amaz-za-zing. That's right, so good it adds a syllable.

 

You will need:

4 tsp olive oil, divided
2 c sliced leeks (about 4. You could also use one large onion if you prefer)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 c all-purpose unbleached flour
1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
Salt, pepper
1 c white wine (I'm using Fat B&*tard Chardonnay because I like hippos)
3 c chicken stock
1 1/2 c water
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 lb potatoes (not russet)
8 c kale (about a bunch), torn

To do your prep, here are some things to keep in mind. You only want to use the white and light green parts of the leek. The rest of it is very tough and doesn't have any flavour, so not any good for stock. I am always so conflicted about leeks, they add such a nice nuance to the taste, but all the waste! Won't someone please come up with a use for all that greenery??

Anyway, trim the end off the leek, then cut off the white / light green part.

Cut in half.

You would not believe the amount of dirt that can hide in between those layers. Rinse 'em!

The easiest way I have found to deal with kale is to hold onto the end of the stem firmly and run a sharp paring knife down to the top of the leaf. Like scraping it off. Then tear or cut into pieces.

Cut your potatoes and chicken into bite-size pieces, mince your garlic.

 

Back to the soup! Heat one teaspoon of the oil in a large Dutch oven, cook the leeks until golden and softened, about 5-6 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook for another minute, just until you can smell it. Set aside in a large-ish bowl.

Dump your flour into a pie plate, add your chicken pieces and stir until each piece is coated.

 

Add two teaspoons of olive oil to the Dutch oven, cook half of the chicken, sprinkling with salt and pepper, until browned on all sides, 5-6 minutes. Remove to the same bowl with the leek; add last teaspoon of oil to the pan and cook the remaining chicken, also sprinkled with salt and pepper.

 



 

When all of the chicken has browned and has been removed from the Dutch oven, pour in the white wine and scrape up all the crunchy bits on the bottom.

You should have about a tablespoon of flour left over in your pie plate from coating the chicken, add that to one cup of the chicken stock and whisk together.

Add that, the rest of the stock, the 1 1/2 c water and mustard to your Dutch oven, bring to a boil. Watch your lid, the mustard can get a little jumpy.

Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Add in the potatoes, re-cover and simmer for yet another 30 minutes. It will totally be worth it! Instant gratification is for the bids! And hungry people.

Stir in the kale, cook for another 10 minutes until it softens. If you cross your eyes a little, kale looks like spinach, but it does not wilt at all the same. 8 cups of spinach reduces to a tablespoon, whereas 8 cups of kale looks just like 8 cups of kale, no matter how long you cook it.

Becoming concerned my pot is too small for the vast amounts of kale

Throw on your red pepper at the end, serve! I portioned mine out to six servings and came up with 334 calories per, which is not bad. I used a couple hundred grams more chicken, so there is that. Another dish with veggies built in, I'll take it.

Enjoy!

Thursday: Grilled BBQ Chicken Wings

So excited! Sun! Rumour has it it will be short-lived, therefore am seizing the day, carpe chicken wing and all of that. I wrestled with making these, because fitting chicken wings into a healthy lifestyle can be a little tricky. Small crunchy amazingly greasy handfuls of joy with more calories than a decent-sized pizza. However, I am a big fan of using what I have and what I found in the freezer is these chicken wings and there we are. Since I am not intending to stop eating properly, I'm going to try and integrate these bad boys. With salad, lots and LOTS of salad.

These wings are sweet and a little spicy and a whole lot of amazing.

You will need:

3-4 lbs chicken wings, tips removed

2 c ketchup

1/4 c olive oil

1/4 c orange juice

1/4 c Chipotle pepper sauce

4 cloves garlic, pressed

1 tsp lime juice

1 tsp salt

Dump everything in a large plastic freezer bag, preferably something good quality. No-one wants this all over the inside of their fridge.

Squeeze out all the air and seal. Mush it around until all the wings are coated in sauce. Massage it a little through the bag. Go on, give it a grope.

Thrown in the fridge, let marinate for at least 6 hours. Reserve the marinade for basting while grilling.

I made 2.5 lbs, halved the recipe and ended up with chicken wings with a calorie count of 85 per. Say you had three, threw in a salad with some light goat cheese, that's not too bad, right? You probably wouldn`t want to do it ALL the time as that is not the best use of that many calories, but here and again, give it a whirl.

All crunchy from the grill

You can almost hear them...eat meeee!! Eat meeee!!

Vegetarian Wednesday: Curried Hummus and Tomato Lentil Soup

I have tried approximately 40-hundred hummus recipes, this is a combination of a few. I haven't been able to get a decently creamy spread, so I am upping the oil a little tiny bit and making sure my pureeing is nice and mushing. Also, who doesn't love lentils?? Not I! Wait, that's too many negatives, I can't work out whether I just said I liked them or not. I love them! We all should! Yay for vegetarian Wednesdays and the tornado that didn't come!

For the hummus, you will need:

1 tsp olive oil

1 small onion, grated

5 garlic cloves, crushed

1 Tbsp curry (see recipe below)

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 c water

3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (about 1 and a half lemons)

Salt

2 540 ml cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil (optional)

For the curry powder, you will need:

1/2 cinnamon stick
1 1/2 tsp chili flakes (use less if you are into milder curry. baby)
1 tsp green cardamom seeds (about a dozen pods worth)
6 cloves
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 Tbsp coriander seeds
2 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground ginger

To extract the cardamom seeds, flatten them with a large knife by whacking them with the wide part.

Heat a small frying pan over medium heat and cook the whole spices (cardamom, cumin, cloves, coriander) until you can smell them, 30 seconds to a minute.

Let cool and dump everything else into a spice grinder. You COULD also use a mortar and pestle, give yourself a few more minutes for that. And a gold star.

Pulse a few times for the cinnamon stick, then add in the cooled whole spices and just keep pulsing until it looks blended.

Back to the hummus!

Heat oil in a non-stick saucepan over med-low heat. Cook the onion for 2 minutes. Add the garlic for 30 seconds. That's it! Add in the curry powder and cumin seeds, cook for another 30 seconds until you can smell 'em. 

Dump the garlic mixture and everything else into a food processor or blender, blend like crazy until it is all smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning. This is where you can add a little extra water or perhaps 2 teaspoons of extra-virgin olive oil, until you are happy with the texture.

You are going to get about 3 cups, and a decent serving is about 1/4 c, which works out to about 82 calories. 

And now for the tomato soup. You will need:

1 tsp vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped finely

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1 lb tomatoes or I can 28 oz diced tomatoes

3/4 c split lentils

5 c chicken or vegetable stock

Salt, pepper

First off, if you are going to use fresh tomatoes, you will want to peel, dice and seed them in advance. To do that, bring a deep-ish pot of water to boil. Get a big bowl ready filled with lots of ice and some water. Remove the green stem and cut an "X" across the bottom of each tomato.

Using something amazingly useful like a spider (the non-gross leggy one) dip each tomato individually into the boiling water for 30 seconds to a minute, until you see the cut edges start to peel upwards.

Remove and immediately put into the bowl filled with ice water. Do them all; after they are all blanched the skin should just peel right off. In theory.

The tomato Polar Bear dip

Brr

They practically peel themselves

Cut the tomatoes across the middle:

And use a small spoon to scrape the seeds out inside the revealed tunnels. A sharp spoon, like a grapefruit spoon, is awesome for this, but you can also use a paring knife on any parts if they get unruly. Bye glutamates. Sigh. 

Somewhat de-seeded

Roughly chop and do the rest of your prep. Chop your onions, press your garlic, have a ball. If you are using canned tomatoes, then, um, open it. 

Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat; cook the onions until soft, about 5 minutes. Add in the garlic, cumin, coriander tomatoes and lentils, cook for another 4-5 minutes.

Add in the stock, bring to a boil and then simmer for 30-45 minutes until the lentils are tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Remove from heat and let sit on a raised wire rack to cool slightly. Use a food processor or blender to process the soup until smooth. If you are going to use a blender, remove the center plastic plug in the blender lid and wrap tightly with a large kitchen towel. One that will hopefully not show tomato stains. This will vent the steam somewhat. You may also have to do the soup in batches. You can use an immersion blender if you like, but it will not be as smooth. A food processor can only take so much fluid, so keep an eye on your levels. This sounds like fun, doesn't it?? It will totally be worth it.

Pops right out

Using one of my bread towels

And a food processor, because, hey, there it was on the counter from the hummus

Return the soup to the same pot, rinsed out, and warm to eating temperature. I added some stock at the end to get it to the consistency I wanted; she was a leetle thick. I used fresh tomatoes (but I didn't seed them entirely because nutrients) and I came up with 4 servings at 140 calories each. Added in some homemade bread and butter and bam! Under 500 calories and veggie fantastic.

Enjoy!

Equipment Corner

A couple of quick notes; I never understood those adjustable measuring spoons until I did my first spice blend and realised how invaluable they are for lots of tiny dry ingredients. I also broke one of my garlic presses today, which I did not even know was possible; that one looked pretty sturdy and it will be my replacement.

I wanted to include a mortar and pestle, especially since I ended up using one today, but that is something you really want to be able to grope in person. You want one that feels good in the hand, has a nice and heavy pestle and is rough inside. No smooth interiors! Rough will help those spices break down much faster. And I'm out!